Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blow-molding machine and a method of sterilizing the same.
Description of Related Art
It has been proposed to sterilize a preform before the preform is molded into a container, such as a bottle, in a molding die in a blow-molding machine (see Patent Document 1, for example). The bottle can be filled with an aseptic content and sealed to produce an aseptic package.
In operation of the blow-molding machine, various malfunctions can occur in the blow-molding machine. If a malfunction occurs, the blow-molding machine needs to be stopped to open a cover of a chamber or the like surrounding the blow-molding machine and open the molding die or the like for internal inspection. If the blow-molding machine is opened, disassembled and maintained, bacteria from the operator or environment can enter the blow-molding machine and adhere to the molding die, an extension rod and the like and further to the preform or bottle, and thus the aseptic package cannot be produced.
To avoid this, a cleaning in place (CIP) system is provided as means for sterilizing the interior of the blow-molding machine after the blow-molding machine is opened. The CIP system can clean a valve block for controlling blow air or the like, for example, without the need of disassembling the blow-molding machine (see Patent Document 2, for example).
Furthermore, it has been proposed to clean the interior of a blow-molding die by opening the die and blasting a cleaner to the inner wall surface of the die from a cleaning nozzle or by opening the die and blasting a cleaner into the die from the extension rod (see Patent Documents 3 and 4, for example).